


Beside the Dying Fire

by junxouji



Category: EXO (Band), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Psychological Drama, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:29:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junxouji/pseuds/junxouji
Summary: They called itDay Zerowhen the outbreak became a hysteria. People were dying but notstayingdead. When they rose again they were no longer human.Walkers. When the apocalypse happens there is only room for those with the willpower to survive. It leaves little to no room for notions likelove. When two unlikely forces meet under such circumstances they find themselves at odds. There is no guarantee they would make it through the week much less give them the luxury of being together. They couldn't bemoredifferent:Jongin saved people. Chanyeolkilledthem when necessary.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Byun Baekhyun/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Oh Sehun, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Jongin | Kai/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taeyong, Kim Jongin | Kai/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Beside the Dying Fire

and i shall be the wolf   
who dines upon wolves,   
the sheep upon sheep,   
the man upon men —   
  
i will be invader, rebel, cannibal,   
traitor, murderer and thief;   
i will be rotten flesh and tainted blood,   
and all things in between.   
  
i will ruin what i cannot have,   
i will bite the hand that feeds,   
and i shall suffer none so much   
as they shall suffer me.

—  _ out of spite _ //  [ m.a.w ](http://dvoyd.tumblr.com/)

  
  
  


He was a  **_survivor_ ** . 

He had always known that fact. The end of the fucking world didn’t have to happen for Chanyeol to know he would do anything and everything to make it out alive. Life has never been easy for the youth who grew up with absent parents and forced to fend for himself at an early age. Those same skills he fine-tuned over his troublesome youth came in handy when the apocalypse happened. 

They called it  _ Day Zero  _ when the outbreak became a hysteria. People were dying but not staying dead. When they rose again they were no longer human. They were something else and they were infected with whatever it was that was killing them.  _ Walkers _ . Chanyeol considered himself lucky. He had no one to lose and only himself to look after when the cities fell apart and the structure of the military became overrun by the dead. He watched too many families in the settlements become ripped apart when the gates no longer kept the dead out. The thought crosses him just as easily as the sun rises in the sky that having someone would certainly be a weakness in this new age apocalypse. He didn’t want the baggage but ultimately it wasn’t his choice when a reckoning force entered his life like a tidal wave. There was a predicament: he couldn’t stay away despite knowing the logistics of both of their survival wasn’t in their fucking favor.

The problem was that he was a survivor and Jongin was not. But Chanyeol did not want to survive in this world without him.

When the military fell small groups of people banded together, made their governments, and fought off the invasion of the dead. The only thing they didn't expect was that they would be fighting against other survivors for resources as well. It’s how Chanyeol found himself at a settlement on the outskirts of Busan. If he wanted to he would have continued traveling and scavenging alone but there was  **power** in numbers. No one wanted to be alone when a horde of walkers came by.

It’s where he meets Jongin. The younger male looks like he got hit with the gravity of what was happening around them. There are telltale signs of what he used to be like before all this happened if you knew what to look for. Chanyeol noticed it  _ all _ . His hands were uncalloused and didn’t know a day’s hard work. They’re gentle when they handle the injured almost apologetic when the man works on his patients. Jongin was a  _ nurse _ before all this happened. It made him impossibly valuable given that any knowledge of medicine or how to treat wounds could save someone from dying of an infection or something else completely minor before all this shit went down. People were dying of things that could have been treated with antibiotics -- that’s how fucked the world was.

Jongin saved people. Chanyeol  **killed** them when necessary.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Winter was  _ brutal _ . 

His hands were cracked with dryness, bleeding in the crevices, and still, Jongin fumbled with the fences keeping the walkers out. He was busy fortifying their defenses because every once in awhile a herd would come in and do some damage. The fences were the only things keeping the dead out and his group prospering. 

The only thing making today any different than the others in the secluded fenced off community was the roaring of trucks nearing. Jongin’s eyes flicker towards the only road leading into the community spying military-grade trunks peering over the horizon. His brows knotted in confusion because it was too many to be anyone from his group. They didn’t have any contact with outsiders so, that meant it was someone who knew  _ where _ they were. Jongin moves back from the fence and takes off in a sprint towards the makeshift towers.

“Hyung.” Jongin calls but Minseok is already ringing the bell indicating there were outsiders at their gates. Jongin had been in the community from the beginning, always sheltered from the cruelty of the world outside of it, but he had heard the stories from those who came to them. It wasn’t the same outside the walls. There weren’t laws, no rules, no bonds -- people took what they wanted without a thought if it meant they had to kill those they stole from.

The community was a walled-in gated homing sector that had been for those with wealth before  _ Day Zero _ . With the already-built fences and walls, it provided security from the walkers and humans alike. Most families had come from nearby villages looking for anything to keep them safe. But their community was small and most people unable to defend themselves. Jongin’s hand instinctively moves to grip the pistol at his side.

As the trucks near the gates more people spill out from their homes from the warning Minseok lets out. Minseok’s peering through his rifle counting the heads he sees. The leader of their community, a bright-eyed man named Junmyeon reaches Jongin patting his arm comfortingly as he looks up at Minseok.

“Minseok?” Junmyeon asks, “What’s coming?”

Minseok’s expression is grim. It makes sense. He was one of those who had survived outside the walls and knew what people were capable of now.

“A group of people. Count maybe 15… maybe 20. They got some good equipment, Myeon.” Minseok replies, “Jongin go tell the kids to stay inside.”

Jongin moves without questioning it navigating through the families filling the streets gently encouraging the kids and mothers to return to their homes, ensuring them it would all be handled shortly. That’s when he hears the squeaking of the gates opening. He turns seeing those in charge of keeping the community safe with their guns raised at the trucks, which halted to a stop.

The first thing he notices is a leather boot step out of the trucks. The shoe is oddly well-kept considering almost anything was a commodity now. The next thing he notices is the man’s height and the sullen expression crossing his face. There was a jagged scar from the corner of his mouth to his jaw intensifying his expression. His companions step out of the trucks and they look just as rough, all armed with impressive military-grade weapons. 

“You’ll have to forgive the guns. We don’t have many visitors.” Junmyeon approaches, solidifying himself as their leader. “Welcome to Sanctuary. What do we owe this pleasure?” His smile is polite but guarded. Jongin knew it would be a mistake to ever underestimate Junmyeon no matter how friendly he appeared. He had been a star during his mandatory enlistment before all of this happened. He was as cunning as he was clever. He had what it took to survive and Jongin isn’t sure he can say the same.

The man doesn’t answer at first but instead scans the community and the crowd behind Junmyeon peering nervously. How they must look like frightened cage birds to such a man. Jongin shivers to feel the man’s gaze briefly fall on him.

“I come from a settlement not too far away. We’re  _ peaceful _ but we’re not afraid to take out anyone in our way.” The man’s gaze returns to Junmyeon almost threateningly, “We don’t want any trouble but one of ours is pregnant. She is nearing her due date and we are looking for anyone with medical experience.”

Jongin’s gut drops immediately. He can see Junmyeon tense. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Minseok cast a look in his direction.

“We can’t help you.” Minseok answers shortly, “Even if we did have such a person we wouldn’t send them off with strangers.”

“We’ve come to get a doctor  _ peacefully _ but we will use force if we must.” The man replies as his eyes harden, “We need to ensure the baby and the woman survive.”

“Minsoek is right. We couldn’t send anyone with you--” Junmyeon begins but he is interrupted by a man near the man with the scar. He’s much shorter, eyes dark and brooding, and he doesn’t smile.

“He’s lying. They have someone. There are too many healthy-looking people here for there not to be some type of medical help.”

“Kyungsoo, quiet.” The taller man warns, “Look, we don’t want any trouble. We’re fearful she might die when it’s not necessary she dies. We would bring her to you but she can’t make the trip. So,  _ please _ .”

There is silence. The pulse is so loud in Jongin’s ears he has take a breath before he calms. He was the only person in Sanctuary with any kind of medical training. Although, he would much prefer to stay in the safety of the walls he knows that many are not lucky enough to get the proper care to keep them alive. How antibiotics could save people from simple illnesses that once had been easily treated.

“We will provide food and safety for anyone able to assist us. We can trade guns and ammo for the services.  _ Anything _ .” The tall man propositions.

Jongin knows ammo is not something they could easily turn down. It was in short supply and every bullet mattered when it came to the dead. Jongin swallows as he pushes forward in the crowd. He feels a hand or two try to stop him but it’s no use. He’s never really carried his weight, always favored by both Junmyeon and Minseok, who kept him properly sheltered from the ugly truths outside the walls. Now was his time to prove his worth. His  _ usefulness _ .

“I was a nurse before all of this. I-I’ve delivered babies before. I d-delivered one of our last spring. A healthy baby girl. I can help you. For ammo paid to my people.” Jongin speaks up.

Minseok steps down from his post and his hand comes to Jongin’s shoulder, “No. We don’t trade people.”

“You heard him, they’ll keep me safe. They’ll bring me back. It’s the least I can do.” Jongin murmurs, casting a glance with the scarred man. “We have a  _ deal _ .”

Despite the distorted way his scar scrunches up, he smiles at Jongin almost in gratitude. With a gruff, “Unload the ammo crates Kyungsoo.”

It’s then Jongin realizes he has done something that would shift the direction of his near future. Somehow, he doesn’t feel bad about his decision even though Minseok is looking disapproving and Junmyeon looks uncertain. It was  _ easy  _ for them. They had their place and their positions. Jongin, on the other hand, was tired of people constantly carrying him through this apocalypse. It was time for him to make a difference too.


End file.
